1
as in shuffled
to move heavily or clumsily
the elephant lumbered through the jungle
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stumbled
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually
the novel's plot lumbers to its predictable conclusion after 500 long pages
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
4
as in loaded
to place a weight or burden on
preparations that will lumber the expedition with unnecessary equipment and supplies
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lumbered
Robinson said he was also cut off from food stamps in November as the longest government shutdown in history lumbered on.
—
Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026
The raccoon took the hint, shimmied down the rope and lumbered onto a ladder before making a less-than-graceful landing on the porch below.
—Ronnie Li, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025
Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026
The raccoon took the hint, shimmied down the rope and lumbered onto a ladder before making a less-than-graceful landing on the porch below.
—Ronnie Li, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lumbered
Verb
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That means there aren’t going to be just a few chairs shuffled around; my suspicion is much of the roster likely will be overhauled in the next few years.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
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On Thursday afternoon, about 300 people in a mix of puffer coats and fleeces shuffled in place on a line that snaked south along Seventh Avenue to West 10th Street, wrapped around Julius’ and circled back — an Ouroborous.—
Adriane Quinlan,
Curbed,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Shares stumbled last week on news about job openings in December hitting their lowest level in five years as investors tried to assess the health of the economy and figure out whether to cash in on pricey stocks.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
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Both the Bobcats and Blue Devils have stumbled, and Yale is in a dogfight in the Ivy League.—
Kels Dayton,
Hartford Courant,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Seahawks corner Devon Witherspoon created the fumble on a blitz, and linebacker Uchenna Nwosu picked up the ball and rumbled 45 yards for the score.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
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The smell of methanol racing fuel and the buzz of anticipation filled Lucas Oil Stadium as a procession of monster trucks rumbled into position for Monster Jam’s two-show weekend on January 31 and February 1.—
Travis LaCoss,
IndyStar,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Roads like Brook Forest could be so loaded up that people might drive on both sides of the road to exit in a real fire threat.—
Alan Gionet,
CBS News,
14 Feb. 2026
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From there, the Aggies (2-0) loaded the bases for shortstop Boston Kellner, who doubled home a run to push the lead to 5-0.—
Tony Catalina,
Austin American Statesman,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The first trailer for this macho survival flick just stomped onto the internet last week with a gung-ho spirit and guns blazing.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
9 Feb. 2026
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The Seattle Seahawks stomped a mud hole in the New England Patriots.—
Prince J. Grimes,
USA Today,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The results showed that while standard chemical leaching struggled without gravity to move fluids, the microbes didn’t blink.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Feb. 2026
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The passenger was able to exit the truck while the suspect, still armed with the knife, struggled with the driver.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Come on, the gunman growled, turning and walking and beckoning with the pistol for Adi to follow.—
Jonathan Miles,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
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The dog growled and Esposito slowed his pace.—
René Guzman,
San Antonio Express-News,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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High interest rates, meanwhile, have saddled credit card borrowers, while subprime loans have surged and a record number of Americans have fallen behind on auto payments.—
Trevor Bach,
Dallas Morning News,
26 Jan. 2026
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That saddled the combined company with an untenable $50 billion in debt even as cable networks cratered and viewers flocked to streaming.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
3 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lumbered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lumbered. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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